Parlando: The COC Blog

3/28/2012

March Break Opera Camps

[This is a guest post by our Public Relations Intern, Alexandra Hong]

Led by professional artist educators and using a current COC production as a source of inspiration, the COC’s March Break Opera Camps give children the opportunity to explore the various artistic components involved in producing an opera.

This year, on March 15 and 16, young people aged seven to 12 discovered Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi (on the COC mainstage as a double bill with Zemlinsky’sA Florentine Tragedy from April 26 – May 25, 2012), by learning about the story and its themes. Led by Bronwen Low (music), Andy Miller (design), and Jen Johnson (drama and movement) the children experienced how these various elements are used in the production of an opera. At the end of the day, the children demonstrated their knowledge from the workshops in a performance featuring two excerpts from Gianni Schicchi: “Povero Buoso” and “O mio babbino caro.”

Interested in the COC Opera Camps for kids? The COC’s Summer Opera Camps are now open for registration for children aged five to 12!

After School Opera Program: Clownin' Around

[This is a guest post by the COC's public relations intern, Alexandra Hong]

Last week was the world premiere of the mini-opera
Clownin’ Around. Created by Dean Burry and presented by the
participants in the COC’s After School Opera Program, the opera follows a
group of clowns who decide one day to get “real jobs.” The result is a
hilarious exploration of what would happen
if clowns became doctors or policemen. After exploring these jobs with
no success, the clowns discover that they are really best at being
themselves – clowns.

Check out some of the photos from the Thursday
performance at the COC’s Joey and Toby Tanenbaum Opera Centre. I was
lucky to get a peek backstage and watched the performers put on make-up
and costumes, and then warm-up before the show.

We may have some future opera stars here! And, a reminder: there are still some spots left for the spring term, which begins March 29.

Youth Opera Lab

Registration opened on Monday for our Youth Opera Lab workshops, a unique opportunity for young adults aged 16 – 21 to see a work-in-progress at the COC. Along with an interactive workshop and the chance to meet some of the creative people behind our mainstage productions, participants attend a working rehearsal (a rehearsal where the performers are still receiving guidance from the conductor) and get two tickets to the dress rehearsal (the "dry run" of the performance)—and all for free.

There's a lab for each opera in our season, and last month participants met with the set and costume designer for The Magic Flute, Myung Hee Cho (at left in the photo). Myung Hee spoke with the students about her design process and demonstrated the set mock-ups. The participants then split into groups and took a crack at making some of their own set and costume mock-ups. Later on, a member of our props team talked about what goes into creating the various objects they would be seeing on stage.

In the image below, you can see the design maquette used by Myung Hee Cho to model her designs for The Magic Flute; the Youth Opera Lab participants got to take a look at it up close.